Hydrology in Western Colorado: Planning for Resilience

Hydrology in Western Colorado:

Planning for Resilience

2016 Water Course

February 18, 2016

Dr. Gigi A. Richard

Director, Hutchins Water Center at CMU

Professor, Geology

Coordinator, Civil Engineering Partnership CMU/CU-Boulder

2016 Water Year

Oct 1

2015Sept 30

2016

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

2015 2016

Water year is

named for the

year in which

it ends

How to define “normal”?1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

1971-2000 = 30 years

1981-2010 = 30 years

We often compare hydrologic and meteorologic data to

the average of a recent 30-yr period

“The new normal” = warmer, drier, lower streamflow

Warmer, drier

and lower

streamflow

than 1970s

Hydrology and Water Use of Colorado and the Colorado River Basin

Image credit: Colo. Foundation for Water Education

Colorado’s Water Supply

Grand Jnct

Average

Precipitation

9 in/yr

Colorado Avg

Precipitation 15.5 in/yr

Colorado’s climate varies spatially and temporally

Monthly temperature and

precipitation,

avg. 1971-2000

Blue bar =

mean monthly precip, in

(right axis)

Red line = mean daily

max T for each month

Blue line = mean daily

min T for each month

From Climate Change in Colorado: A Synthesis to Support Water Resources Management and Adaptation, produced by Western Water Assessment, Cooperative

Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder for the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Aug 2014

Climate &

Hydrology of the

Colorado River

Basin

34% of watershed

receives < 10 in/yr

84% of watershed

receives < 20 in/yr

Most of the runoff

is produced by only

15% of the drainage

area

Fassnacht 2006

How does this

precipitation

regime translate

into timing of

streamflow?

Upper

Colorado

River Basin

Lower Colorado River Basin

Annual Hydrograph at

CO-UT state line

Data from usgs.gov

(1951-2013)

Colorado River at

CO-UT State Line

This graph is called a

hydrograph

Streamflow data from usgs.gov

(1951-2013)

Colorado River at

CO-UT State Line

Colorado River near 29 Road in Grand Junction

http://grandcanyon.com/

https://www.canyonology.com/running-grand-canyon-1983-flood/

1983 in the

Grand Canyon

1983-1986 were

wet years


Colorado River at

CO-UT State Line

(1951-2013)

Yampa River at Deerlodge, June 11, 2011, 23, 600 cfs

Yampa River, June 8, 2011, 19,600 cfs at Maybell

6th highest flood

at this gage


Colorado River at

CO-UT State Line

(1951-2013)

Lowest peak flow on

record at this gage


Variability in timing and

distribution of precipitation

result in variable streamflow

and availability of surface

water supply

14

80-90% of the

Population

What do we do

when we don’t have

water when and

where we need it?

80% of the

Water

From Colorado’s Water Plan, Draft, December 10, 2014, Prepared by Colorado Water Conservation Board

From High Country NewsPhoto by Peter McBride

Blue Mesa Dam and Reservoir

940,700 ac-ft capacity

1.7 maf

3.8 maf

Lake Granby (539,800 ac-ft),

Shadow Mtn. (18, 400 ac-ft)

and Grand Lake

Dillon Dam and Reservoir

257,000 ac-ft capacity McPhee Dam and Reservoir

381,195 ac-ft capacity1.8 maf

1.1 maf

2.9 maf

From High Country NewsPhoto by Peter McBride

“…most regulated

river in the world”

1.7 maf

27 maf

29 maf

3.8 maf

1.1 maf

2.9 maf

Glen Canyon Dam,

1963

Lake Powell 27 million

ac-ft storage capacity

Hoover Dam, 1935

Lake Mead 29 million ac-ft storage capacity

Photos by Peter McBride

Total storage

capacity is now 60

million ac-ft

about 4 times the

long-term mean

annual flow at Lees

Ferry (USBR 2012)

http://www.usbr.gov/lc

All-American Canal

Photo from Nasa.gov

Colorado River Aqueduct

Los Angeles & San Diego

http://www.nydailynews.com/

Central Arizona

Project

Consumptive use has

increased to about

90% of the long-term

average annual flow at

Yuma (Schmidt 2007)

Oct.

1921

Natural

Variability

Filling Lake

Powell

1983 Flood

Controlled

Variability

Resulting impactsHydrology

Sediment supply &

channel morphology

Ecological – riparian & aquatic

Water Quality

From VanSteeter &

Pitlick 1998

4 endemic endangered

fish speciesQ T DO

Salinity

Selenium

Invasive species

Habitat alteration

Peak flows

Base flows

Total flow

Channel

simplification

Use ac-ft/yr

Public Supply 950,000

Domestic Fresh 42,500

Irrigation 10,900,000

Livestock 41,300

Aquaculture 137,000

Industrial 146,000

Mining 32,000

Thermoelectric 86,300

Total 12,335,100

How do we use water

in Colorado?

Data from Kenny, J.F., Barber, N.L., Hutson, S.S., Linsey, K.S., Lovelace, J.K., and Maupin, M.A., 2009,

Estimated use of water in the United States in 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1344, 52 p.

Irrigation

89%

How does Colorado’s water use

compare with other states?

Figure from Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of water in the

United States in 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1405, 56 pp.

Irrigation withdrawals by state, 2010

#1

CA

#2

ID #3

CO

Data from Maupin, M.A., Kenny, J.F., Hutson, S.S., Lovelace, J.K., Barber, N.L., and Linsey, K.S., 2014, Estimated use of water in the


Surface Water Withdrawals in Colorado, 2010

754 mgd

702 mgd

441 mgd

559 mgd

355 mgd



438 mgd

413 mgd

409 mgd

Groundwater Withdrawals in Colorado, 2010

215 mgd

157 mgd

1 mgd

141 mgd



130 mgd

Total Freshwater Withdrawals in Colorado, 2010

755 mgd

462 mgd

579 mgd

703 mgd

563 mgd



Evaporates

~600,000 ac-ft/yr

Lake Powell

With global climate change

As Temperature Evaporation will

Crop

transpiration

Evaporation from

soils

Irrigation

The Future

From Colorado’s Water Plan, Draft, December 10, 2014, Prepared by Colorado Water Conservation Board

Increased temperatures

Increased length

of growing season

Earlier peak

runoff and

lower late-

summer flows

Decreased

annual runoff

Decreased

overall water

supply

Increased

groundwater

usage

Increased

vulnerability

to beetle

infestation

Recreation impacts – skiing, fishing, boating

Increased

frequency and

severity of

wildfire

Increased

evapotranspiration

Decreased

water quality

Increased water

demand

Lower

Streamflow

Planning for Resilience

USBR 2012

Variability in P & Q

Global Climate ChangeIncreased T

Increased variability

“The Gap”

Options for dealing with resource scarcity

• Recycling

• Reuse

• Conservation

• Efficiency

• Substitution https://www.auroragov.org/LivingHere/Water/WaterSystem/PrairieWaters/index.htm

https://www.auroragov.org/LivingHere/Water/WaterSystem/PrairieWaters/index.htm


• Recycling

• Reuse

• Conservation

• Efficiency

• Substitution

Use

Less

http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2012/jun/25/mandatory-water-

restrictions-enacted-steamboat-ii-/

?


• Recycling

• Reuse

• Conservation

• Efficiency

• Substitution

Accomplish

the same job

with lessMicro-jet irrigation on peach farm in Grand Junction


• Recycling

• Reuse

• Conservation

• Efficiency

• Substitution

With

another

resource?

https://www.linkedin.com/topic/desalination

http://www.survivalworld.com/cold-climate-survival/iceberg.html#.VsZTmPkrJQI

http://www.twdb.texas.gov/groundwater/

http://mentalfloss.com/

2016 Water Year

Maps from http://climate.colostate.edu/~drought/

Current

Snowpack

About

Average

2016

2016


Above

Average

Current Soil

Moisture

Green = Moist

Yellow/red = Dry


Current

Storage

Temperature

v

Looking toward a resilient water future

for Colorado…

Thank you

Yampa River, June 2011, G. Richardcoloradomesa.edu/water-center

Hydrology in Western Colorado: Planning for Resilience

Documents

Transcript of Hydrology in Western Colorado: Planning for Resilience